Michael Dorn
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952) is an American actor best known for his role as the Klingon character Worf in the Star Trek franchise, appearing in all seven seasons of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994), and later reprising the role in seasons four through seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1995–1999) and season three of Star Trek: Picard (2023). Dorn has appeared more times as a regular cast member than any other Star Trek actor in the franchise's history, spanning five films and 284 television episodes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Outside of the Star Trek franchise, Dorn has appeared in the television series CHiPs (1979–1982), and has had voice roles as Coldstone and Taurus in the animated series Gargoyles (1994–1997), Kalibak in the DC Animated Universe, I.M. Weasel in I Am Weasel (1997–2000), Lord Darkar in the Nickelodeon dub of Winx Club (2011), Castle (2009-2016) as a psychotherapist, and Captain Mozar in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2015–2016).
Outside of shows and movies, he has had voice roles in several Star Trek-related games, as well as more obscure voice roles such as a major companion Marcus and the main antagonist Frank Horrigan of the action RPG game Fallout 2 (1998) and a Krogan character in Mass Effect 2 (2010), among many other similar roles.
Early lifeEdit
Dorn was born in Luling, Texas, the son of Allie Lee (née Nauls) and Fentress Dorn Jr.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Better He grew up in Pasadena, California, where he studied radio and television production at Pasadena City College. Following his graduation, he pursued a career in music as a performer with several different rock-music bands, traveling to San Francisco and then back to Los Angeles.Template:Fact
CareerEdit
Early workEdit
Dorn first appeared on-screen in Rocky, in an uncredited role as Apollo Creed's bodyguard.<ref name=Trek>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Two years later, he appeared as a guest star on a 1978 episode of the television show W.E.B.. Impressed by his work, the show's producer introduced Dorn to an agent, through whom he met acting teacher Charles E. Conrad. Dorn studied with Conrad for six months, until he landed a regular role on the crime drama series CHiPs.<ref name=Trek/>
Star TrekEdit
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Dorn's most notable role to date is that of the Klingon Starfleet officer Lieutenant (later Lt. Commander) Worf in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Dorn was the last of the main actors to be cast in The Next Generation, and prepared for his audition by isolating himself from the other actors and remaining taciturn through his interview, mimicking the personality of the character.<ref name="charting">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> His character proved so popular amongst fans that Dorn was added to the cast of spin-off series Deep Space Nine in an effort to boost ratings.<ref name="greenwald">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="chartingb">Template:Cite AV media notes Of Worf, Wolfe says that the studio felt DS9's ratings were sagging at the end of the third season, and he and the other writers were asked to give viewers a new reason to watch. Their answer was to make Worf a part of the cast.</ref>
Dorn (as Worf) has the record for the most on-screen appearances of any Star Trek character. As Worf, he appeared in 175 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (missing only the episodes "Code of Honor", "Haven", and "Shades of Gray"), 102 episodes of Deep Space Nine, four Star Trek movies, and seven episodes of Star Trek: Picard, bringing his total to 288 appearances as the character. He also appeared as Worf's ancestor, Colonel Worf, in the 1991 film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and directed the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes "In the Cards", "Inquisition", and "When It Rains...", and the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Two Days and Two Nights".
He was one of six actors to reprise his role, in voiceover, for the Star Trek: Captain's Chair virtual reality game. In 2014, he participated in the fan-produced Star Trek episode "Fairest of Them All", giving his voice to the computer of the Mirror Universe Enterprise.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2012, Dorn announced a desire to return to his Klingon role in a television series tentatively titled Star Trek: Captain Worf. He said:
I had come up with the idea because I love [Worf] and I think he's a character that hasn't been fully developed and hasn't been fully realized. Once I started thinking about it, it became obvious to me that I wanted to at least put it out there, which I have, and the response has been pretty amazing. We've been contacted by different individuals–I can't say who and all that–about wanting to come on board and be part of this.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web
}}</ref>
In April 2022, it was announced that he would reprise his role as Worf in the third season of Star Trek: Picard, which aired in 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Other workEdit
Dorn has appeared in a number of TV shows, films, and video games. He has been the spokesman for Neutrogena T-Gel Shampoo, and has appeared in a Dodge Dart car commercial. He voiced Marcus and Frank Horrigan in Fallout 2. He appeared in a 2012 tongue-in-cheek television commercial for Chrysler as "Future Guy", a time traveler sent from the future to assist development of the 2013 Dodge Dart.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He also plays the role of General Thain in the Castlevania: Hymn of Blood web series.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Following his Star Trek career, he had supporting roles in a number of independent feature films, including Shadow Hours (2000), Lessons for an Assassin (2001), and The Santa Clause trilogy, in which he appeared in a minor role as the Sandman. Dorn reprised his role as Worf for cameo appearances on Webster and Family Guy, the latter with several of his fellow Next Generation castmates. He had a recurring role on the television series Castle, playing the therapist of NYPD police detective Kate Beckett's.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In March 2023, Dorn was announced as the writer for a comic starring Steel (John Henry Irons), whom he voiced in Superman: The Animated Series. Steelworks #1 was published on June 6, 2023, with art by Sami Basri.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Dorn provides the voice of the character Battle Beast in the animated series Invincible.
Personal lifeEdit
A member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dorn is an accomplished pilot. He has flown with the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds.<ref name=Trek/> He has owned several jet aircraft, including a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, which he jokingly refers to as his "starship",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> a North American F-86 Sabre, and currently owns a North American Sabreliner. Dorn also serves on several aviation organizations, one of which is the Air Force Aviation Heritage Foundation,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> where he is on the advisory board. Dorn was interviewed for the "Private Jets" episode of Modern Marvels on The History Channel.
Dorn stated in a 2010 interview that he had been diagnosed with an "early early" stage of prostate cancer, which led him to become a vegan.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
FilmographyEdit
FilmEdit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Rocky | Apollo Creed's bodyguard | Film debut; uncredited |
| 1977 | Demon Seed | bit part (uncredited) | |
| 1985 | Jagged Edge | Dan Hislan | |
| 1991 | Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country | Klingon Defense Attorney (Colonel Worf) | |
| 1994 | Star Trek Generations | Lieutenant Commander Worf | |
| 1995 | Timemaster | Chairman | |
| Mission Critical | Commander | ||
| 1996 | Star Trek: First Contact | Lieutenant Commander Worf | |
| 1997 | Menno's Mind | Simon, Menno's Friend | |
| 1998 | Star Trek: Insurrection | Lieutenant Commander Worf | |
| 2000 | Shadow Hours | Detective Thomas Greenwood | |
| The Prophet's Game | Bob Bowman | ||
| 2001 | The Gristle | Tar | |
| Mach 2 | Rogers | ||
| Ali | Black pilot | ||
| 2002 | Face Value | Hitman | |
| Star Trek: Nemesis | Lieutenant Commander Worf | ||
| The Santa Clause 2 | Sandman | Cameo | |
| 2003 | Shade | Jack Thornhill | |
| Lessons For an Assassin | Quinn | ||
| The Interplanetary Surplus Male and Amazon Women of Outer Space | Sam the Bartender | Direct-to-video | |
| 2005 | Heart of the Beholder | Lieutenant Larson | |
| Thru the Moebius Strip | King Tor | citation | CitationClass=web
}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref> |
| 2006 | The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause | Sandman | |
| 2007 | Fist of the Warrior | Arnold Denton | |
| Night Skies | Kyle | ||
| The Deep Below | Carl Bennett | ||
| 2009 | Bionicle: The Legend Reborn | Mata Nui | Voice, direct-to-video<ref name="btva7" /> |
| 2012 | Strange Frame | Guardship Commander | <ref name="btva7" /> |
| 2015 | Ted 2 | Rick | |
| 2019 | Wonder Woman: Bloodlines | Ferdinand the Minotaur | Voice, direct-to-video<ref name="btva7" /> |
TelevisionEdit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–1982 | CHiPs | Officer Jebediah Turner | 31 episodes | ||
| 1981 | Knots Landing | Paramedic | Episode: "The Vigil" | ||
| 1985 | 227 | Lester's friend | 1 episode | ||
| Hunter | Highway Patrolman | Episode: "Waiting for Mr. Wrong" | |||
| 1986–1987 | Days of Our Lives | Jimmy | |||
| 1987 | Punky Brewster | Councilman Weatherwax | Episode: "Fighting City Hall" | ||
| 1987–1994 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Lieutenant Worf | Main role, 7 seasons | ||
| 1988 | Reading Rainbow | Himself | Episode: "The Bionic Bunny Show" | ||
| 1989 | Webster | Lieutenant Worf | Episode: "Webtrek" | ||
| 1991–1994 | Dinosaurs | Elders, Solomon the Great, WESAYSO Announcer | Voice, recurring role | ||
| 1994 | SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron | Mutilor | Episode: "When Strikes Mutilor" | ||
| 1994–1997 | Gargoyles | Coldstone, Taurus | Recurring role<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 1995 | Amanda and the Alien | Lieutenant Vint | Television film | ||
| World of Wonder | Himself – Host | Science show on the Discovery Channel | |||
| 1995–1996 | Fantastic Four | Gorgon | Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 1995–1999 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Lieutenant Commander Worf | Main role, 4 seasons | ||
| 1995 | The Outer Limits | Pete Claridge | Episode: "The Voyage Home" | ||
| 1996 | Adventures from the Book of Virtues | Apollo | Voice, episode: "Humility" | ||
| Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys | Lord Nebula | Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | |||
| The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest | Tala | Voice, episode: "The Dark Mountain"<ref name="btva7" /> | |||
| 1996–2000 | Superman: The Animated Series | Kalibak, John Henry Irons / Steel | Voice, recurring role<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 1997 | Street Fighter | The Warrior King | Voice, episode: "The Warrior King"; uncredited | ||
| 1997–2000 | I Am Weasel | I.M. Weasel | Voice, main role<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 1998 | Haunted History | Narrator | Voice, episode: "Haunted History: Charleston" | ||
| 1998–1999 | Hercules | Minotaur | Voice, 2 episodes | ||
| 2000 | Martial Law | Councilman Tynan | Episode: "No Quarter" | ||
| 2001 | 7th Heaven | Mr. Johnson | |||
| 2002 | Through the Fire | Michael Collins | Television film | ||
| The Zeta Project | Colonel Lemak | Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | |||
| Static Shock | Reverend Anderson | Voice, episode: "Frozen Out"<ref name="btva7" /> | |||
| 2003 | Justice League | Kalibak | Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time | Rufus 3000 | Voice, television film | |||
| Spider-Man: The New Animated Series | Kraven the Hunter | Voice, 2 episodes | |||
| 2003–2005 | Duck Dodgers | Martian Centurion Robots, Captain Long, Klunkin Warrior | Voice, main role<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2004–2005 | Megas XLR | R.E.G.I.S., Bot #14, Guard | Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2004–2007 | Danny Phantom | Fright Knight | Voice, 4 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2005 | Justice League Unlimited | Kalibak | Voice, episode: "The Ties That Bind"<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| Descent | General Fielding | Television film | |||
| 2005, 2009 | Family Guy | Lieutenant Worf, Himself | Voice, 2 episodes | ||
| 2006 | All You've Got | Fire Captain Diaz | Television film | ||
| A.I. Assault | General Buskirk | Television film | |||
| Fallen Angels | Taylor | Television film | |||
| 2007 | Squirrel Boy | Reuben Belmont | Voice, 2 episodes | ||
| Ben 10 | Viktor, Benvicktor | Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | |||
| Without a Trace | Nathan Riggs | Episode: "Absolom" | |||
| 2008–2009 | Heroes | US President | 2 episodes | ||
| 2009 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | Kru'll the Eternal | Voice, episode: "Menace of the Conqueror Caveman!"<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| Heroes | President of the United States | Episode: "An Invisible Thread" | |||
| 2010 | Adventure Time | Gork, Monster Head #2 | Voice, episode: "Freak City"<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| It's a Trap! | Lieutenant Worf | ||||
| 2011–2015 | Castle | Dr. Carver Burke | Recurring role; 6 episodes | ||
| 2011 | Winx Club | Lord Darkar | Voice, recurring role | ||
| 2011 | The Super Hero Squad Show | Ronan the Accuser | Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2012, 2014 | Regular Show | Thomas the Demon | Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2014 | Ben 10: Omniverse | Dr. Viktor, I.M. Werfzel | Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2015–2016 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Captain Mozar, Triceratons | Voice, recurring role<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2016 | Uncle Grandpa | Crispin Mulcahy | Voice, 4 episodes | ||
| 2016–2017 | Arrow | Prometheus | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| 2017 | Supergirl | Voice, episode: "Crisis on Earth-X"; uncredited | |||
| Transformers: Titans Return | Fortress Maximus | Voice, web series | |||
| 2017–2018 | Justice League Action | Atrocitus | Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2017–2019 | The Lion Guard | Bupu | Voice, recurring role<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2018 | OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes | Red Strike, I.M. Weasel | Voice, episode: "Crossover Nexus"<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2021–present | Invincible | Thokk / Battle Beast | Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2021–2022 | Dogs in Space | Pistachio Soup | Voice, 6 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2022 | Dota: Dragon's Blood | Asar | Voice, 8 episodes<ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2023 | Star Trek: Picard | Captain Worf | Season 3 | ||
| 2023 | The Santa Clauses | Sandman | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Video gamesEdit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers | Dr. John | <ref name="btva7" /> | |
| Stellar 7: Draxon's Revenge | Narrator | |||
| 1995 | Mission Critical | Captain Stephen R. Dayna | ||
| Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity | Lieutenant Worf | <ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 1996 | Vikings: The Strategy of Ultimate Conquest | Narrator | ||
| 1997 | Star Trek Generations | Lt. Commander Worf | ||
| 1998 | Fallout 2 | Marcus, Frank Horrigan | <ref name="btva7" /> | |
| 2000 | Star Trek: Armada | Ambassador Worf | ||
| Star Trek: Klingon Academy | Thok Mak | |||
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen | Lt. Commander Worf | |||
| Star Trek: Invasion | ||||
| 2001 | Emperor: Battle for Dune | Duke Achillus | ||
| 2006 | Star Trek: Legacy | Worf | ||
| 2008 | Saints Row 2 | Maero | <ref name="btva7" /> | |
| Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures | Kazim | |||
| 2010 | Mass Effect 2 | Gatatog Uvenk | ||
| Fallout: New Vegas | Marcus | <ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty | Tassadar | <ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2013 | Saints Row IV | Maero | <ref name="btva7" /> | |
| Star Trek: Online | Ambassador Worf | <ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2015 | Infinite Crisis | Swamp Thing | ||
| Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. | John Henry | <ref name="btva7" /> | ||
| 2016 | Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars | Narrator | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| 2017 | XCOM 2: War of the Chosen | Pratal Mox | ||
| 2018 | Lego DC Super-Villains | Kalibak | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| 2019 | Indivisible | Ravannavar | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref><ref name="btva7" /> |
Web seriesEdit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Mata Nui Saga | Mata Nui | Voice<ref>https://biomediaproject.com/bmp/music/dorn/</ref> |
| 2014 | Star Trek Continues | Computer Voice | Voice, episode: "Fairest of Them All" |
| 2015 | Con Man | Himself | Episode: "Thank Your for Your Service" |
| 2017 | Bravest Warriors | Armada Pilot | Voice, episode: "Dan of Future Past" |
| Transformers: Titans Return | Fortress Maximus | Voice, episode: "Aftermath and Rebirth"<ref name="btva7" /> |
Awards and honorsEdit
- 2024 – Saturn Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award – The Cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation<ref name=TrekMovie>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
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